Skip the stress and get straight to decorating with the easy-setup Balsam Hill flip tree. Our holiday expert raves about this tree’s form and function.
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Anyone who’s met me can confirm: I love the holidays. No matter the season, I happily listen to carols, scour estate sales for vintage decor and daydream about my mom’s Christmas cookies. Here at Taste of Home, as Senior Shopping Editor, I focus my energies on uncovering the best gift ideas and testing the latest holiday gear.
At the top of my list? The Balsam Hill flip tree. I’ve been eyeing this impressive holiday beacon ever since I saw an ad for it during a Hallmark Christmas movie marathon. But I had to know: Is it really worth the hefty price tag? I tested it to find out.
What is a Balsam Hill flip tree?
First things first—why is this tree so special? Well, as anyone who has ever owned an artificial Christmas tree can attest, setup is a pain. My typical routine involves lugging a very heavy box out of the basement, lifting each segment of the tree into place and fumbling around the branches to connect the lights. The whole ordeal takes over an hour and leaves me covered in plastic pine needle scratches.
The Balsam Hill flip tree literally flips this holiday hullabaloo on its head. The tree smartly sits on caster wheels and effortlessly rolls into place. Then, to set it up, all you need to do is press the foot pedal, pull the tree stem toward you and voila! Gravity does the rest. A smart plug connection lets you drop the upper half of the tree into place, so all that’s left to do is plug it in and start decorating.
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Balsam Hill Flip Tree Product Features
Available in four heights: 6.5-, 7.5-, 9- and 10-foot options
Available in three light types: Clear, Candlelight Clear LED, Color + Clear LED (The 6.5-foot tree also has a Twinkly Light Show option.)
Features highly realistic “True Needle” branches and a full shape
Three-year warranty, including on lights
Built on a rolling metal stand for easy placement
Comes with durable, custom-fit canvas bags for streamlined storage
Includes fluffing gloves and troubleshooting kit
How We Tested It
I was sent the 7.5-foot Balsam Hill flip tree with clear lights in April 2023. Since then, I have set up, decorated and taken down the tree multiple times.
Arrival and Unboxing
katie Bandurski/Taste of Home
The Balsam Hill flip tree was delivered to my porch, standing upright. It was a two-person effort to carry the 79-pound box up the set of stairs into my apartment. But once we got it inside, unboxing was easy. The flip tree comes in a special box that’s designed so you can simply roll out the base—again, no lifting required.
Both the flippable base and the top portion of the tree were also wrapped in their own custom storage bags. I’ve bought my fair share of Christmas trees, and typically this is an item you have to buy after the fact—and hope it fits. Balsam Hill includes them with your flip tree purchase. Right away I was impressed with this attention to detail. Taking down the Christmas tree is one of my most dreaded tasks, but knowing I have quality storage ready to go makes it a little more bearable.
Setting Up the Tree
katie Bandurski/Taste of Home
After unboxing and removing the storage bags, it was finally time to test out the flip tree feature! I started by locking down the wheels to keep the tree steady. This was as simple as pressing the hinge on each of the four caster wheels.
Then, I simply pressed on the flip pedal and pulled the top of the tree trunk toward me. It immediately started to flip! I guided the trunk down slowly until I heard it click into place. Easy-peasy.
Next, I grabbed the top portion of the tree. For this step, all I needed to do was align the arrow on the base’s trunk with the arrow on the top’s trunk. Again, this was a breeze. And now I had a fully assembled tree. The whole process took maybe three minutes, and I could tackle it by myself. (Aka no more waiting for my fiancé to agree that it’s time to put up the Christmas tree.)
Before I could grab the ornaments, I needed to perform arguably the most important task when setting up an artificial Christmas tree: fluffing the branches. While it’s time-consuming, it guarantees that your tree will look its very best. Plus, Balsam Hill kindly includes two sets of gloves to protect your (and a helper’s!) hands from any poky needles.
Full instructions are available on Balsam Hill’s website, but the premise of fanning the branches is pretty simple. I also found that, because the flip tree uses the brand’s premier True Needle foliage, it required a little less shaping than traditional PVC branches.
Decorating the Tree
katie Bandurski/Taste of Home
Drumroll, please! Once the flip tree was fluffed, I plugged it in. And, I know this sounds cheesy, but I audibly gasped. This was the most beautiful artificial tree I’ve ever seen. It was full, bright and covered in lights. (The 7.5-foot option I tested has over 6,375 branch tips and 1,150 lights, to be exact.) I also love that the lights are controlled through an easy-to-use remote.
To decorate the tree, I started by first hanging larger baubles. An expert holiday decorator taught me years ago that you should hang your biggest ornaments first, and ideally tuck them into the tree for a layered look. Bonus points if they’re reflective and will help mirror the glow of the lights. Since the Balsam Fir style of the flip tree is a little fuller than my previous tree, I wasn’t sure how many large ornaments I’d be able to hang. But I found plenty of space, even amongst the dense branches. Then, I moved on to medium and small ornaments to fill in the gaps.
Throughout the decorating process, I was continually impressed with each branch’s sturdiness. They supported the weight of even my bulkiest pieces. I also loved that there was a clear tip of the tree for securing my topper.
Taking Down the Tree
As with everything in life, all good things must come to an end. After enjoying my tree for a few days, it was time to take it down.
After removing the ornaments and unplugging the power adaptor from the wall, I simply lifted off the top and gently placed it in its bag. I then pressed on the base’s foot pedal and flipped it back toward me. Finally, I placed the base’s storage bag around the branches. After fluffing, the tree pieces are a little more difficult to wrangle into their respective bags. I was able to complete the process by myself, but it is easier with another set of hands.
Once everything was tucked away, I unlocked the caster wheels and rolled the tree into a spare closet. If you’re someone who relies on a basement or attic for holiday storage, keep this in mind as you’ll likely want to find a first-floor storage home for your tree.
Troubleshooting
katie Bandurski/fTaste of Home
When I unboxed the Balsam Hill flip tree, I noticed a small bag attached to the base’s storage bag. It was a troubleshooting kit! In addition to the aforementioned fluffing gloves and remote, it included written instructions, extra bulbs and fuses, a replacement caster wheel and other upkeep tools. While it will hopefully be several years before I need to worry about updating burnt-out bulbs, I was impressed that Balsam Hill provided everything I needed to keep my tree in tip-top shape.
As someone who frequently questions the sustainability of real vs. artificial Christmas trees, it puts my mind at ease knowing I have the power to fix an issue rather than replace the entire tree.
Customer Service
For full transparency, the first flip tree I was sent had a defective flip mechanism. All it took, though, was a quick phone call to customer service. After a few minutes of troubleshooting, they decided to send me a new tree. The replacement arrived before I’d even had a chance to send back the defective one.
While of course, no one wants to have to reach out to customer service, defects do happen. And how a company responds to an issue is more important to me than a mistake. In my experience, Balsam Hill lives up to its reputation as having some of the best customer service support in the industry.
Pros
Incredibly easy to set up and take down
Stunning realism
Beautiful, bright lights
Wheels into place
Heirloom-status quality
Includes storage bags
Branches support ornaments of all shapes and sizes
Fix-it kit makes troubleshooting a breeze
Excellent customer service
Three-year warranty
Cons
Heavy to move, especially up stairs
Requires ample storage space
One of the pricier options on the market
FAQ
katie Bandurski/fTaste of Home
Are flip trees worth it?
As a seasoned holiday decorator, I vote yes. The tree’s quality and craftsmanship, plus Balsam Hill’s keen attention to detail, reassure me that my flip tree will last for years.
Do Balsam Hill trees wobble?
In my experience, no. I have uneven hardwood floors, and I found the Balsam Hill flip tree’s caster wheels to be sturdier than my traditional tree stand. The entire tree feels very secure.
What Other Reviewers Had to Say
With over 650 reviews and a 4.7 average star rating, I’m not the only one who thinks the Balsam Hill flip tree is full of holiday magic.
Verified buyer, Gma, is impressed with the tree’s easy setup. They write: “Got rid of my previous Balsam Hill tree after 12 years. It was still in really good shape, but I wanted a different tree going forward. I love the convenience of being able to set up my new tree in record time because of the flip feature.”
“Our old 9-foot tree took about an hour, three people and about a half box of Band-Aids,” shares five-star reviewer, E. Pate. “I put this beauty up in 10 minutes by myself and no Band-Aids. I love that there are plugs and wires everywhere and that I can change from multicolored to clear lights.”
“Beautiful,” exclaims verified buyer, Linda Christmas fanatic. “Tree is extremely simple to unpack and set up. We are in our late 70s and had no issues unpacking and setting up. Tree looks beautiful and can’t wait for next Christmas to decorate.”
Final Verdict
If you’re in the market for a new Christmas tree, I can’t speak more highly of the Balsam Hill flip tree. Yes, it’s an investment. But it’s one that you will enjoy for many holiday seasons. Plus, setup does not get any easier. This tree simplifies one of the most stressful parts of holiday decorating. (I’m already planning to buy one for my aging parents who struggle with their bulky traditional tree.)
Where to Buy the Balsam Hill Flip Tree
via merchant
Pick up the Balsam Hill flip tree on the brand’s website. My 7.5-foot tree with clear lights retails for $1,799. Other size and light options range from $1,499 to $3,399. While these prices are certainly on the high end, keep in mind that Balsam Hill does offer frequent sales. Not to mention, can you really put a price on holiday magic?
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